From Publishers Weekly
In a starred review, PW praised this "gleefully chilling" picture book, observing that it can be "either as spooky or as silly as the audience desires." Ages 5-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?The ghost of Nicholas Greebe vows to haunt his farm until he finds his missing bone. Dug up by a dog and accidentally transported to Boston, the femur ends up on a whaler and falls into the hands of a bored sailor, who carves a scrimshaw design on it. The whaler hits an iceberg and sinks, but the bone is retrieved in a fishing net and traded for goods. It remains in a trading post for about 100 years, when a sailor buys it for a satchel handle and returns home to New England?and to Nicholas Greebe's farm. Another little dog gnaws off the handle and buries it right where it belongs, to the ghost's delight. Johnston tells a rousing good tale in the tradition of American writers such as Hawthorne; this one has great read-aloud potential with its impeccable pacing and infectious refrain. The author successfully evokes the mood of an old-fashioned ghost story, which will engage older readers without seriously frightening younger ones. Schindler's textured pen-and-ink artwork captures the tone of the tale, and the layout integrates text and illustration beautifully. This low-key chiller will produce shivers and smiles from the pre-"Goosebumps" (Scholastic) crowd.?Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
